Friday 10 to 1: tennis hot shots

With Sam Groth's incredible winner still fresh in our minds, this Friday we look at the ten best tennis shots in recent history.

Melbourne, Australia, 19 July 2013 | tennis.com.au

Unbelievable tennis shots have been in the news lately thanks to our very own Sam Groth, who pulled off this ripper during World Team Tennis play.

Showing that their skills extend far beyond routine forehands and backhands, the world’s top players often produce some jaw-dropping shots that leave fans thrilled and viewers clamouring for replays and highlights reels.

This Friday, we bring you the ten best tennis shots from recent memory.

10. Andy Roddick – diving forehand winner

If you can think of a more exciting way to win match point, then all power to you. Andy Roddick’s diving winner against Milos Raonic saw him clinch the 2011 ATP Memphis title, the 30th of his 32 career tournament victories.

9. Francesca Schiavone – tweener

A flamboyant entertainer, Francesca Schiavone broke out a brilliant tweener to set up a winning point against Alona Bondarenko, and had the Grandstand crowd rocking at the 2010 US Open.

8. Gael Monfils – ripping forehand

It’s hard to recall a forehand ever being struck harder. Gael Monfils’ shot almost had a vapour trail running behind it when he smoked a winner up the line against Marcos Baghdatis during his second round win at Australian Open 2007.

7. Mary Pierce – jump shot

Playing with plenty of Gallic flair, Mary Pierce couldn’t have picked a better place to showcase her acrobatics, landing this winner in front of her adoring home crowd in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2000.

6. Rafael Nadal – tweener lob winner

Like Pierce, Rafael pulled off a lob winner between the legs in front of his home crowd. But the degree of difficulty was arguably harder; he was running away from the net with his back to finals foe Novak Djokovic at the 2011 Madrid Masters, yet weighted the shot perfectly.

5. Agnieszka Radwanska – behind-the-back winner

Always known as a player with great hands and tennis instincts, the Pole took this to a new level in the 2013 Miami quarterfinals. Her improvised behind-the-back winner drew a roar from the Stadium Court crowd and an incredulous reaction from opponent Kirsten Flipkens.

4. Grigor Dimitrov – reverse half-volley drop winner

Continuing with the behind-the-back theme, Grigor Dimitrov pulled off one of the greatest shots you will ever see during his first round victory over Victor Troicki in Basel in 2012. Roll the tape and enjoy a gifted player at work.

3. Andy Murray – running winner around net post

Nobody on Rod Laver Arena at Australian Open 2010 was expecting anything out of Andy Murray during this point – they were too busy voicing their approval for a fabulous return from Marin Cilic. Yet Murray, showing off his incredible wheels, stayed alive in the point, and bought the roof down with this jaw-dropping reply around the net post.

2. Roger Federer – tweener #1

No hot shots list would be complete without an appearance from Roger Federer. The Swiss genius sent the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd into raptures in the semifinals of the 2009 US Open when he played this audacious winner past Novak Djokovic to bring up three match points. It’s been hailed as arguably the greatest shot of all time, and the original YouTube video viewed more almost 2.5 million times.

1. Roger Federer – tweener #2

The only thing better than that last tweener? The fact Federer was able to repeat the feat a year later on exactly the same court. Little wonder the crowd was bowing down to him …